A prominent pro-Russian separatist leader from eastern Ukraine was killed in a bomb explosion at a residential complex in Moscow, marking one of the highest-ranking casualties in the ongoing conflict.
Armen Sarkisyan, 46, who organized combat units against Ukraine from the Donetsk region, died in hospital after sustaining serious injuries in the blast at the Alye Parusa complex in northwest Moscow. One of his bodyguards was killed instantly in what Russian state media described as an assassination attempt.
Sarkisyan maintained close ties with Viktor Yanukovych, Ukraine's former pro-Kremlin president who fled the country following the 2014 Euromaidan revolution. Ukraine's security service (SBU) had placed Sarkisyan on an international wanted list, accusing him of orchestrating murders in central Kyiv.
Following Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, Sarkisyan established and led the "Arbat" Separate Guards Special Purpose Battalion in operations against Ukrainian forces.
The incident occurred as Ukraine launched widespread drone attacks on energy facilities across southern Russia, causing fires at a major oil refinery and gas processing plant. The attacks disrupted flights across a broad region stretching from the Volga River to the Caucasus Mountains.
The high-profile casualty highlights the continuing tensions and violence surrounding the conflict, even reaching into the Russian capital. Russian authorities have launched an investigation into the explosion.